The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 311: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

294 REYNOLDS’ WORKS companion, but as she suddenly beheld them separate, the man remaining where he was, and the count retracing his way rapidly toward the dwelling, she sped back thither before he had an opportunity of seeing that she had issued forth at all. Resuming her seat in the parlour, she awaited the count’s entrance, composing her features as well as she was able, and wondering whether he would tell her what had taken place. He entered the cottage in a few minutes, but instead of rejoining her in the parlour, went straight up to the bedchamber where the cash-box was kept. She at once surmised that it was to procure fresh means of relief for the man who thus appeared to have such strong claims on her husband’s bounty. He did not remain many moments up-stairs, and on descending, just looked into the parlour to inform his wife that he would be with her ina few minutes. He then sallied forth again, and Juliana, haunted by sus- picions which grew stronger and stronger, though they were still utterly vague and indefinite, hastened up to the bedroom. The count, in his hurry, had forgotten to lock the strong- box, of which he was invariably accustomed to keep the key; and as Juliana happened at this time to know exactly what amount there ought to be in the casket, she was speedily enabled to estimate how much had just been taken thence. To her surprise and annoyance, as well as with a still strength- ening suspicion, she discovered that a very formidable inroad indeed had been made upon their pecuniary resources, so that there was scarcely sufficient left to meet the trades- men’s bills that would be coming in at the end of the week. She descended again to the parlour, sadly troubled, but still utterly at a loss to conceive how it was possible that a mere labourer on her husband’s estate could have obtained such a hold on his lordship as thus to extort from him so large a pecuniary succour. She now felt assured that on the occasion when the contents of the cash-box had so mysteri- ously diminished, necessitating at the time a repetition of the count’s visit to his intendant, the assistance he had afforded the poor man must have been to a far greater amount than he had represented, and that thereby the exhaustion of their funds was to be accounted for. All these things agitated, bewildered, and perplexed the mind of Juliana, but in the midst of her troubled reflections the count entered the room. He at once, with his wonted frank- CONNIE OO KS (E(0)